Sadhguru Devours This Paper-Thin Sweet At 16,400 Ft During Kailash Yatra

Sadhguru Relishes A Pootharekulu At 16,400 Ft

 

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In a recent video, the spiritual leader pauses mid-journey to hold up a folded sheet of what looks like rice paper. With a mischievous grin, he announces, “Nobody has ever done this before.” One bite later, he breaks into a brief, unguarded dance. A yogi swaying on a mountain peak, delighted by sugar and ghee, was one of the few images to capture levity so well.

The sweet is locally known as Pootharekulu, a speciality of Atreyapuram in Andhra Pradesh. Its name translates literally to “coated sheets,” and the description is exact: impossibly thin layers of rice folded into delicate packets. 

Making them is not a kitchen task but a craft. Women in Atreyapuram balance inverted pots over flames, brush them with a layer of rice, and with practiced hands lift off the films. 

Those thin sheets become the base. They are stacked with powdered sugar or jaggery, brushed with ghee, and sometimes potted with cashews or cardamom. The result is crisp, vanishes instantly on the tongue, and leaves only a sweet, buttery aftertaste. 

Also Read: From Pandoro To Potica, 10 Best Christmas Sweet Breads In The World You Must Try

The Telangana Special Sweet Bread

In Andhra and Telangana, it is inseparable from weddings and harvest festivals, a sweet that announces both joy and warmth. 

For centuries, the knowledge has stayed within the community of Atreyapuram, where families refine the technique with each generation. Recognition arrived formally when Pootharekulu was granted a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, placing it in the company of Darjeeling tea and Mysore silk, symbols of India’s culinary and craft heritage.

Placed in that context, the video gains a different weight. A sweet usually exchanged in village homes found itself on a Himalayan peak, in the hands of a global spiritual figure. 

Also Read: What is Panettone And Why Is The Italian Christmas-Special Sweet Bread So Expensive?

Sadhguru’s quip, followed by his small celebratory jig, turned a centuries-old local delicacy into a moment of international curiosity. For those unfamiliar with Andhra-Telangana traditions, it was an introduction wrapped in humour; for those who grew up with it, a reminder of how far a familiar taste can travel.

Cover Image Courtesy: sadhguru/Instagram